The Church of Ireland’s Church and Society Commission has reaffirmed the church’s opposition to gay marriage. In a statement distributed to Members of the Legislative Assembly prior to the 29 April 2014 voted on the motion put forward by Sinn Féin, the commission stated the church’s teaching was that “marriage is part of God’s creation and a holy mystery in which one man and one woman become one flesh … The Church of Ireland affirms, according to our Lord’s teaching that marriage is in its purpose a union permanent and life–long, for better or worse, till death do them part, of one man with one woman, to the exclusion of all others on either side … The Church of Ireland recognises for itself and of itself, no other understanding of marriage.” The Roman Catholic Church also opposed the bill, telling MLAs their opposition to the bill was based on “religious conviction” and “human reason”. The bill was defeated after the Democratic Unionist party and the Ulster Unionist party joined by some Catholic MLAs blocked the bill.
